Aspects of the History of Railway Station, Viaduct and the Swan Inn

by Tony Wright The origins of the railway we have running through Holmes Chapel today date back to the Manchester and Birmingham Railway Company which existed from 1840 to 1846.

The first section of the railway was opened in June 1840 - from a temporary station in Travis Street, Manchester to a temporary station at . The railway was unable to run any further until the construction and opening of the Viaduct which would carry the railway lines across the . The viaduct was designed by George Watson Buck (the canal and railway engineer, a Quaker, who was born in 1789 and died in 1854). Stockport viaduct was constructed over a period of 21 months and also completed in 1840.

In 1842, the temporary Travis Street Station was replaced by the a railway station in Store Street (nearby) - this was later re-named Manchester London Road Station in 1847 and then Piccadilly Station after reconstruction, opening on the 12th September 1960 with electric train services to London.

The Manchester & Birmingham Railway Company extended services to in 1842 following the construction of the Holmes Chapel Viaduct (also known as the Twemlow Viaduct or the Dane Viaduct) over the . There was a delay opening the Sandwich to section whilst negotiations took place with the Grand Junction Railway. The results of the agreements meant that the Manchester and Birmingham Railway Company operated between Manchester and Crewe.

In 1846, three railway companies merged to form the London & North Western Railway which then owned and managed the railway running through Holmes Chapel until 1923. Then the London, Midland & Scottish Railways (LMS) until December 1947 when British Railways took over.

You have probably had enough of companies’ history now, I will skip to July 2016 - we are now in the Northern (Central Region) with Colne and Clitheroe to the far north of the region, to the west of the region and Stoke on Trent to the south and Buxton to the east.

Holmes Chapel Railway Station, Viaduct & the Swann Inn Page Number !2 The Holmes Chapel Viaduct, spanning the Dane Valley) was built by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway Company, and took two years to construct - 1839 to 1841. It was built of brick (English Bond) & sandstone with a plain stone parapet. As with the Stockport Viaduct it was also designed by G.W.Buck. Constructed with 23 semi circular brick arches, with (each approx 60 feet span) There is a story that as each arch was completed a tree was planted at the Hermitage (the Halls were the principal land owners in the area, living at the Hermitage within sight of the Viaduct - after the Great Fire of Holmes Chapel in 1753, the Hall family paid for much of the reconstruction of the village -earlier names for the village being Church Hulme or Hulmes Chapel).

The Stockport viaduct is higher but slightly shorter and a comparison indicates the Holmes Chapel Viaduct is made of 400,000 cu ft of stone & 11,000,000 bricks.

Some 500 navvies helped to build the viaduct (plus masons, bricklayers & carpenters). Most navvies camped out by the construction works on the banks of the River Dane.The navvies doubled the local population at the time the viaduct was constructed. .Because of demands on the local bakers, sometimes navvies had to walk 4 miles to for a loaf of bread. The

Holmes Chapel Railway Station, Viaduct & the Swann Inn Page Number !3 workers were had access to clean running water from a natural spring on Road ‘The Spout’.

The magnificence of the structure can be appreciated today - a number of walks have dramatic views of the Viaduct and one path leads underneath the arches.

The local Inns at the time were the The Red Lion, George & Dragon and the Bull’s Head.

So we have the railway arriving in Holmes Chapel in 1841 - the line from Stockport to Sandbach opened on the 10th May 1841.

The first trains to use the line included open carriages and second class carriages with glass windows.

Illustration of a London & North Western Railway Locomotive c1852 (By Frederick S. Williams, Public Domain)

Holmes Chapel Railway Station, Viaduct & the Swann Inn Page Number !4 The viaduct was upgraded by from the 13th to the 24th February 2016. The £7 million cost during the closure of the line included Treatment for water damage, brickwork repairs and waterproofing works. (the total sum also included work to the the Peover Viaduct).

The Holmes Chapel Viaduct was Grade 2 Listed (National Heritage List for ) on the 12th March 1987 *

* Listing Entry

Railway viaduct 1841 by G W Buck, Engineer to Manchester and Birmingham Railway Company. Red brick, in English Bond, and sandstone. Twenty three semi-circular arches, each of 18 metres span, supported on 3 metres on face by 8 metres deep piers. Projecting pier plinths with weathered vermiculated stone cornice, mainly in brickwork but the plinths of the two piers nearest to the River Dane are wholly of stone with banded rustication. Ogee moulded stone impost bands. 8 bricks deep arches, some wholly in brick-on- edge rings. The plain stone parapet sits on a projecting two course deep brick band;this is supported by a cornice which is built-up from a chamfered stone band and a massive dentil cornice. The viaduct carries the electrified railway from Manchester to Crewe.

Geoffrey Males, Chairman of the Volunteers and Friends of Holmes Chapel Railway Station & Viaduct visiting the viaduct during work in February 2016.

Holmes Chapel Railway Station, Viaduct & the Swann Inn Page Number !5 Holmes Chapel Railway Station

Here we see a plan from 1909. Note the Swan Inn. Also note the short siding marked ‘C’ in the goods yard. Here there was a 5 ton crane.

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This 1948 view of Holmes Chapel Railway Station from the Manchester platform - we can see the goods shed, which was only demolished and removed in 2014. Beyond the Shed is the ‘cattle dock’. Beyond the signal box there was another siding for the wallpaper factory (the factory itself still exists in July 2016 - and supplies to ‘Next’ for example).

The 1902 signal box had 25 levers. It was not used after 1959 when the line was electrified.

Holmes Chapel Railway Station, Viaduct & the Swann Inn Page Number !7 Here we see an image from c1905 of the station. The picture hangs in the bar area of the Swan Inn. It is well worth a visit to the sympathetically restored Inn - it boasts a lovely ambiance, good food and a selection of Samuel Smith’s ales and lagers. It was thoroughly restored in 2015/early 2016 and has a large car park and extensive landscaped gardens adjacent to the railway. Detail from the railway station picture shows the booking office and waiting room, ladies waiting room and an advert for Pears Soap.

Holmes Chapel Railway Station, Viaduct & the Swann Inn Page Number !8

The Swan Inn, Holmes Chapel, final completion in April 2016 with the new water supply connected.

Holmes Chapel Railway Station, Viaduct & the Swann Inn Page Number !9 The railway from Manchester to Crewe was electrified in the late 1950s, re- opening in 1960. This was the last time we had a new station in Holmes Chapel.

Replacement structures and a new car park are scheduled for November 2016.

The Swan Inn opened at the same time as the Railway and its grounds to the rear were used as pens for cattle. Cattle were transported to market by the railway (the goods yard had a ‘cattle dock’) Farmers would also use the station to transport milk.

Originally two separate buildings, you can see the one on the left has its own front door in the image above - it was a cottage in 1910 with an inn to the right. Later a flying second floor was added to link the buildings.

There was also a local omnibus service to from the Inn. the Manchester Wheels Cycling Club also used the Inn on their days out.

1891 - there was accommodation for 4 diners and 1 overnight traveller. 1903 - there was accommodation for 10 diners and 2 overnight travellers. 2016 - nine ensuite spacious guest bedrooms.

One other thing to note - the railway station adjacent at one time had a level crossing. An embankment and bridge was built at a later date. The embankment therefore changed the aspect to the front of the buildings.

Holmes Chapel Railway Station, Viaduct & the Swann Inn Page Number !10 Here we see a picture of Graham Blake in the Station passenger book lending library. Graham is the popular 21st century equivalent of the the Station Master. Graham works closely with the Volunteers and Friends of Holmes Chapel Railway & Viaduct.

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